No need to reveal design of Metro pillar: Supreme court

The Supreme Court Monday stayed a Delhi High Court order directing the Delhi Metro to disclose the design of an elevated corridor’s pillar that collapsed in south Delhi in July 2009, killing six labourers.

The apex court bench of Justice P. Sathasivam and Justice J. Chelameswar stayed the high court order after Attorney General G.E. Vahanvati said that in the interest of security the details sought by petitioner architect Sudhir Vora could not be disclosed.

Vahanvati told the court that the Delhi Metro was a flagship company of the government and was competing with other companies for securing metro projects in other cities and the technical and design details of its project could not be shared with others.

Vora wondered how could the design of a faulty pillar became a matter of security. He said that it was not a power plant or an airport whose details could not be shared on the grounds of security considerations.

He said that this was a mass rapid transport meant for public and details about its design could not be held back.

He said that he had the details of the designs but he was fighting for his right to know.

Vora told the court that even the Delhi Metro had admitted that the design of the collapsed pillar was faulty.

The court said that if security was the main consideration then it would consider the Delhi Metro plea.